Every now and again, I read a book and all my enthusiasm for it is countered with depressing little thoughts that sneak in the back of my brain and whisper doubts in my ears.
Why aren’t you doing anything like that with your writing? Wait, you even think you’re good enough to write something like this?
Whenever I discover an author I’m enthusiastic about I go through that. I’m so thrilled about the work… and then I realize just how much I still have to learn.
I finished The 50/50 Killer and decided I’m allowed to resent Steve for at least three days. Call it an arbitrary amount of time for my attitude to be reborn. Or for me to just get over my petty jealousy. I count Steve as a friend – we hung out a fair bit when I was in England last summer – so I can at least tell myself that I hang out with the best.
I’m going to email Steve and tell him he sucks, because I’ve seen the reviews he’s getting (5/5 etc.) and I don’t want his ego growing out of control. I’ll have the review next Spinetingler, but I think it’s safe to say it’ll be positive. One of the most original stories I’ve read… ever.
That was the ‘Awe’ portion
Now, this is what comes between the ‘Awe’ and the ‘Ew’. A POLICE constable was gunned down and another man died yesterday after officers attended a "domestic incident".
It is always shocking when an officer is killed in the line of duty. However, I would have to guess it’s doubly hard to take when officers are shot in the UK, given that they have such tough gun control laws. I always find myself wondering what the police hurl at armed criminals – bad words?
Criminals, by their very nature, have chosen to step outside the bounds of the law. The rules do not apply to them. I’m not going to assess the laws of the UK. In the wake of the Mayerthorpe Incident people called for tougher laws here, for protection for the police instead of the criminals.
I wish people would stop talking about the Scottish election long enough to talk about the issues the police face in the UK. In a way, it ties in with some of what I thought about, reading The 50/50 Killer.
And, speaking of shock, this is the call Kevin was on the other night.
From the you’re-freaking-me-out files…(Ewwww)
What began as a faint popping in a 9-year-old boy's ear - "like Rice Krispies" - ended up as an earache, and the doctor's diagnosis was that a pair of spiders made a home in the ear.
That disturbs me on so many levels. Yep, Sandra goes girly. I frickin’ hate spiders.
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8 comments:
Oh. My. GOD! I am a total spider phobe! I'm so freaked out by that spider story that I can't stop shaking myself and going 'ugh!'.
Spiders by themselves don't bother me. As long as they don't touch. Near my ear? I start having visions of Star Trek II and Khan. When I saw that story on cnn.com this morning it completely wigged me out.
I actually feel I've been an instrument of torture for you Trace - sorry! Now, don't read on...
Norby, maybe you shouldn't read on either. When I lived in BC the spiders got pretty big. As in... big. I heard of them crawling in people's mouths when they slept. Nothing will transform a mild 'ew' response to something and turn it to ful phobia more than those kinds of stories, and then seeing the monstrous things. With their legs they were considerably bigger than mice.
My cat used to bat them until they died and they'd make this decent-sized ball...
I have to go now. I'm freaking myself out. And Khan? Don't even talk to me about it. I couldn't watch that movie. Things in my ears - uck.
Hey I grew up in rural Ohio I've seen my share. I also once saw my grandmother rear back, lift her leg and squash a daddy longleg sitting by the doorknob. I've seen it all baby.
nasty!!! I flippin' hate spiders. Wonder if I should invest in some earplugs now? I have a friend who had a moth get in her ear when she was little. It was still alive when they got it out. She sleeps with the covers over her head to this day. I don't blame her.
*shudder*
Daddy Longlegs don't bother me - isn't that weird? I also feel less anxious if the spider is brown instead of black.
Therapy might explain all this.
Angie, a moth? Oh GOD. I have one of those netted face jackets from the Northwest Territories because of how bad the bugs are up there - I might just start sleeping with that on 'cos this is all freakin' me out.
Aw, that's quite a sad story. The spiders might have been newlyweds, just moved into their first home. Huddling together on the first night.
"I don't know, Dave." (Linda looks around nervously) "I don't think I like it here. Do you think it's safe?"
Dave puts his legs around Linda.
"Of course it is, honey. And don't worry: I'll always be here to look after - "
Whoosh! Crash! Chaos chaos chaos!
Silence. Then...
"Dave? (cough cough). Oh god, I can't feel my legs. D - Dave? Dave? Why won't you answer me?!"
It's a bit like the end of Titanic. I'm alone in feeling the pathos here, aren't it?
I probably shouldn't say this, but isn't there also a fairly solid statistic about the number of spiders the average person eats in a year while asleep? From memory, it's surprisingly high.
And Sandra: thank you very much. That thing you said about reading stuff and thinking "why aren't I doing this?" applies to pretty much everything I read.
Ha Steve! Well, if anyone was lacking proof of your creative talent!
And I do think there is a statistical number... but I don't want to think about it.
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